Satire—sarcasm, irony or wit used to ridicule or
mock
Satirical
styles:
1. Direct—satire is directly
stated
2. Indirect satire is communicated
through characters in a situation
Types of
Satire:
1. Horatian—light-hearted, intended
for fun
2. Juvenalian—bitter, angry
attacking
Satirical
Devices:
1. Irony—the actual intent is
expressed in words which carry the opposite meaning. It is lighter, less harsh in wording
than sarcasm, though more cutting because of its indirectness. The ability to recognize irony is one of
the surest tests of intelligence and sophistication. Irony speaks words of praise to imply
blame and words of blame to imply praise.
Writer is using a tongue-in-cheek style. Irony is achieved through such
techniques as hyperbole and understatement.
A. Verbal
Irony—simply an inversion of meaning
B.
Dramatic Irony—when the words or acts of a character carry
a meaning unperceived by himself but understood by the audience. The irony resides in the contrast
between the meaning intended by the speaker and the added significance seen by
others.
C.
Socratic Irony—Socrates pretended ignorance of a subject in order
to draw knowledge out of his students by a question and answer device. Socratic irony is feigning ignorance to
achieve some advantage over an opponent.
D.
Situational Irony—Depends on a discrepancy between purpose and
results . Example: a practical joke that backfires is
situational irony.
2. Travesty—presents a serious
(often religious) subject frivolously it reduces everything to its lowest
level. “Trans”=over, across “vestire”=to clothe or dress Presenting a subject in a dress intended
for another type of subject.
3. Burlesque—ridiculous exaggeration
achieved through a variety of ways.
For example, the sublime may be absurd, honest emotions may be turned to
sentimentality. STYLE is the
essential quality in burlesque A
style ordinarily dignified may be used for nonsensical matters ,
etc.
4. Parody—a composition imitating or
burlesquing another, usually serious, piece of work. Designed to ridicule in nonsensical
fashion an original piece of work.
Parody is in literature what the caricature and cartoon are in
art.
**NOTE—TRAVESTY, BURLESQUE & PARODY are similar, but travesty always makes a mockery of a serious subject, whereas burlesque and parody may do the reverse.
5. Farce—exciting laughter through
exaggerated, improbable situations.
This usually contains low comedy: quarreling, fighting, coarse with,
horseplay, noisy singing, boisterous conduct, trickery, clownishness,
drunkenness, slap-stick.
6. Invective—harsh, abusive language
directed against a person or cause.
Invective is a vehicle, a tool of anger. Invective is the bitterest of all
satire.
7. Sarcasm—a sharply mocking or
contemptuous remark. The term came
from the Greek word “sarkazein” which means “to tear
flesh.”
8. Knaves & Fools—in comedy
there are no villains and no innocent victims. Instead, there are rogues (knaves) and
suckers (fools). The knave exploits
someone “asking for it”. When these
two interact, comic satire results.
When knaves & fools meet, they expose each
other.
9. Malapropism—a deliberate
mispronunciation of a name or term with the intent of poking
fun.